Globally inclusive measures of subjective well-being

This working paper examines globally inclusive approaches to measuring subjective well-being. The paper reviews concerns that existing research may be overly focused on certain population groups from wealthier countries, that are not internationally representative. While the evidence base that informed the 2013 OECD Guidelines on Measuring Subjective Well-being is found to draw on a wide range of cross-country studies, there are important gaps in global and intra-country sampling and certain populations remain underrepresented. An overview of new literature suggests four recurring classes of subjective well-being measures that are not currently well-captured: 1) low arousal positive affect; 2) relational affect; 3) social well-being; and 4) relational well-being. To enable inclusion of these measures, strong evidence is required to show that measures accurately reflect the intended concepts. Current evidence on the reliability and validity of most measures is limited and the paper concludes with a proposed question module for further testing.